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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Resonance Fluorescence of an InGaAs Quantum Dot in a Planar Cavity Using Orthogonal Excitation and Detection
Published on: October 13, 2017
Exciton-phonon coupling and disorder in the excited states of CdSe colloidal quantum dots
Mayrose R Salvador1, Matthew W Graham, Gregory D Scholes
1Lash-Miller Chemical Laboratories, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
Abstract:
We study the origin of the spectral line shape in colloidal CdSe nanocrystal quantum dots. The three-pulse photon echo peak shift (3PEPS) data reveal a temperature-independent fast decay, obscuring the quantification of the homogeneous linewidth. The optical gap and Stokes shift are found to have an anomalous behavior with temperature, which is size, capping group, and surrounding polymer matrix independent. Using these results and combining them with simulations, we discuss the role of exciton-phonon coupling, static inhomogeneity, exciton fine structure, and exciton state disorder in the linewidth of the nanocrystal. In particular, our analysis shows that the disorder due to surface imperfections and finite temperature effects, as well as the relaxation within the fine structure, can have significant impact on the steady-state absorption spectrum, 3PEPS data, and dephasing processes.
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